Cynthia P- Wyoming's basins
'Wyoming' Wyoming, the "Cowboy State" is best known for its national parks such as Yellowstone National Park, the Devil's Tower National Monument, and Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Its physical features and resources has influenced the identity of Wyoming: from mountain ranges to water basins, rivers and railroads. One of the features that have affected Wyoming's topography, its resources and the economy is its basins. Link to list of basins in Wyoming: http://wyoming.hometownlocator.com/features/physical,class,basin.cfm Topography Wyoming consist of three different types of basins: 1.) A collection zone for interior change 2.) Surface topography 3.) A buried structure An example of the first definition would be the Great Divide Basin. The second definition is best explained by the the lowland drained by a river such as the Powder River Basin; the region along the Powder River Basin is drained by the Powder River. Last but not least a buried structure would be the downwarping of rock strata which is usually associated with coal, oil or gas deposits. The Powder River Basin can also be classified under this type of basin because it is a broad downwarp that connects the mountain ranges on either side of it. The underground basin contains tons of subbituminous coal. Due to the large number of mountain ranges and basins, Wyoming is not as populated as many other states. In 2009, it had nearly 545,000 residents compared to 38,292,000 million in California. There are no major towns or cities located in the Great Divide Basin which consists a population of less than 500. On the other hand, these regions are perfect habitats for animals such as mule, deer, pheasant, and sage grouse. 'Resources' Water Water is an important resource in Wyoming because it is used in all areas such as irrigation, industries, recreation and hydropower. The two types of water that is used is surface water and groundwater. The difference between the two is the way their produced. Surface water is produced by precipitation while groundwater can be found throughout the state which only a certain amount will be available for future usage. Nearly 70% of the water supply in Wyoming comes from snow. Reservoir Storage are important because they hold the water, what was once snow, and then using it during the summer and fall. Irrigation uses the most water consumption in the state of Wyoming. It accounts for 80-85% of the consumptive use in the state. Nearly 60 % of the farms have implanted irrigation systems for their crops which includes: hay, wheat and oats, barley, dry beans, corn and sugar beets. There are many industries in Wyoming which include mining, chemicals, lumber and wood products, printing and publishing, machinery and tourism. All together, these industries deplete the state's water supply by approximately 85,000 acre-feet per year. Most of this water comes from groundwater supplies. It is projected that there will be an increase in water consumption due to the coal industry. Recreation involving water is usually nonconsumptive because rivers and streams provide fishing days for tourists and natives of Wyoming. Hydropower is another example of nonconsumptive usage of water. Rivers such as the Green, North Platte, Wind, Big Horn and the Shosone River are hydro=plants that have the capacity to generate enough electricity. Coal Over the past thirty years, subbituminous coal has been one of the most important natural resources in the United States. The nation's largest reserve of this type of coal can be found in the Powder River Basin. After the federal government passed a series of clean-air acts, the coals in the Interior Coal Field of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky could no longer be used because of it contained high-sulfur levels. Therefore in order to use this type of coal expensive pollution-abatement technology had to be installed before usage. Over time, the nation air-quality standards have been raised several times, which continues to encourage the use of low-sulfur coal. thumb|300px|right Economy These new acts helped Wyoming boost its coal production and distribution around the United States. The annual production of coal in the Powder River region between the 1970s to the early 1990s, increased from 70 million tons to 190 million tons a year. Because of these laws, Wyoming is now the leading coal-producing state. It is ahead of the once leading Appalachian, coal-producing states, Kentucky and West Virginia. Wyoming also consist of the largest coal mine in the United States, The Black Thunder Mine which produces more than 35 million tons of coal a year. Most of the coal is distributed by train to electric-power plants. Plants in Superior, Wyoming have a high demand for coal to pour it into the Great Lake vessels. Areas from the Pacific to the Gulf through the Great Lakes rely on this type of low-sulfur coal to generate electricity around the United States. References Hudson, John C. Across This Land: a Regional Geography of the United States and Canada. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2002. Print. "King Coal- Powder River Rails & Mines." YouTube- Broadcast Yourself. ''Pentrexvideos, 27 July 2007. Web. 01 June 2010. . "Wyoming." ''Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 2 June 2010. Web. 01 June 2010. . "Wyoming Basins." Wyoming Gazetteer: City Profiles, Physical & Cultural Features. WY Home Town Locator. Web. 30 May 2010. . "Wyoming Data, Statistics and Resources." All Stays. 2009. Web. 31 May 2010. .